Once Upon a Time
by alyssajdancer
Summary: Mer/Der. I wrote this FOREVER ago. Based on the story Cinderella.


Once upon a time in a far away kingdom lived a young maiden named Meredith. Beautiful and intelligent, she was considered the most enviable woman in her village. Meredith lived in peace and comfort with her wealthy father. Her mother, Elizabeth, died giving birth to Meredith, and her father, Thatcher took the death quite hard. He spoiled Meredith, making her his little princess. When she was about eight years old, her father remarried a woman named Ellis. This woman brought her two young daughters, Addison and Alexandra, or Lexie, spoiled and bratty, clearly jealous of Meredith's beauty.

Unfortunately, on the day of Meredith's tenth birthday, Thatcher was killed in a horseback riding incident. Ever since, Meredith found herself petrified of horses, but the fear of horses was small compared to what she faced in the form of her step-family. Harsh and unloving, jealous of Meredith's many positive attributes, such as her beauty, intellect, and talent that would make her more desired by suitors, they forced Meredith to work as their personal slave. She was rarely allowed out of the house, and she cooked and cleaned all day long.

One day, her family ventured to town, headed to the tailor to purchase new dresses to fit their extravagant lifestyle. Meredith quickly finished the work they had left her with, and snatched her deep purple cloak from her hook near the fireplace and headed outside for some fresh air. As she walked along the small dirt road, she longed to live a life where she could go outside and experience nature whenever she wished, as well as live happily like the families on the farms she passed.

Meredith turned down a small path used for strolls of pleasure or horse riding. She had never gone down this road before. What Meredith did not know was that wild horses often roamed along this path as well. She strode slowly down the path, smiling to herself peacefully, and dreaming of a life where she would be happy and loved again, although she was doubtful it would ever come true. She was almost sixteen and had barely ventured off of the property since her father passed away.

Out of nowhere, a huge chocolate colored horse with black mane galloped straight towards Meredith. She found herself frozen in place, unable to move from the path of the crazed beast. However, it slowed as it approached, and once the horse reached Meredith, began walking in circles round her, inspecting her, appearing to be lurking waiting to attack. Meredith dropped to the ground in fear, her whole body shaking.

All at once she heard a loud shout, and the horse that had been circling her dashed away. Meredith found herself still unable to move, her heart beating out of her chest. She heard another horse come to a stop, and a pair of boots plopped down in front of her, and their owner crouched down to her level. One strong, large hand came to her back and the other to her chin, as her head was tilted up to meet the eyes of her rescuer.

Meredith felt her breath leave her as she stared into a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. They were filled with concern under a furrowed brow. The man's dark hair was windswept, and Meredith could see the taut muscles beneath his tight riding attire.

"Are you alright?" his deep concerned voice asked.

Meredith could barely nod, but managed to squeak out a timid "yes".

"Where do you live? I will take you there now. Are you hurt? Is that why you cannot move? What is your name?" the man asked, not realizing how many questions he was plaguing the poor girl with.

"So many questions," Meredith responded, finally finding her voice. "My name is Meredith. I live about a half mile down the road, but I will get there myself. I am not hurt, only dreadfully afraid of horses, I must admit."

"My name is Derek, but really, you must allow me to take you home, Meredith, or may I call you Meri? I like that nickname for you, even though we only just met. It's beautiful, just like you," Derek said as he gently touched her cheek and observed the young girl. Her shabby gray top tucked into her worn light blue skirt and patched cloak seemed dreadfully out of place, compared to the woman's obvious natural beauty.

"I cannot go near your horse, sir. As I mentioned before, I am petrified. My father died in a riding accident, and ever since, the creatures scare me to death."

"Well then, I will tie my horse up here, and walk with you home. Please do not argue with me. It would be my pleasure."

Helping her off the ground, Derek tied up the horse he had been riding earlier, and walked back to Meri's side. He towered over her petite frame, and found himself delighting in escorting and protecting this young beauty on her journey home. Once they reached her home, Derek's curious mind became more active again. She resided in a gorgeous house, obviously for someone of serious affluence, and yet, she was dressed so poorly. The one or two servants walking the grounds wore uniforms, so that could not possibly be what she was. He found himself greatly intrigued in discovering more about the story behind the mysterious Meri.

"Thank you, sir," Meri said as she began to unlock the gate with a gold key she pulled out of her pocket. "Can I do anything for you in return?"

"No, it was my pleasure to escort you home, Meri."

"How can I repay you, sir? I must do something"

"You are much bolder than when I first met you, Meri."

"Well, this is my usual personality. It is just that because my father passed on in a horseback riding incident I have this dreadful fear."

"Ah, well, that is a perfectly reasonable excuse for anyone to be afraid of horses. Tell me, Meri. How old are you?"

"I am sixteen as of last week," she responded looking straight into his eyes.

Derek felt his heart skip a beat. He was almost twenty-six years old. He had not expected Meri to be so young. He knew that it was typical for there to be a large age gap between husband and wife, but for some reason, this made Meri seem so much more fragile. So innocent. Derek felt guilty thinking affectionate thoughts towards her. Despite these doubting thoughts however, he felt this overwhelming desire to free Meri from this difficult life she seemed to be living, and to protect her.

Before he could continue with any further questions, Meri dropped into a low curtsy, quietly thanked Derek for saving her, and disappeared through the gate and behind the large house. He furrowed his brow, and as he rode home, his thoughts were filled with Meri, and only Meri.

* * *

Meredith sat in the corner of the house near the fireplace reading her book when her family, if they could even be considered that, returned. They screamed her name, and Meri was forced to come running. As she approached, Meredith was bombarded with a pile of cloaks and boxes.

"Meredith, take these boxes upstairs and help my darlings, Addison and Lexie, into them. The girls will wear them to the Prince's ball this evening," Ellis demanded.

"His Highness is giving a ball?" Meredith asked, intrigued.

"Yes," Addison said stepping forward. "He is searching the kingdom for his bride. All the young women of the kingdom are invited. Except for you of course because why on earth would he waste his time with you?"

Meredith's heart sank. She wanted so much to see what went on in the rest of the kingdom and society. But that dream left as quickly as it came.

After she had helped them dress, and Ellis had coached the girls on how to make the best impression on the Prince, the three left for the ball, leaving Meredith all alone. She found herself in the corner, crying her eyes out.

"Oh sweetheart, stand up," a voice filled the room. Meredith looked up to see a tall, blond woman standing in front of her, dressed in a pink prom-dress style gown.

"Who are you," Meredith asked, hesitantly.

"My name is Izzie, your fairy godmother.

"My what?"

"I am here to make all your dreams come true, including going to the ball. But we must hurry. Time is flying!"

"I don't understand," Meredith began, but was at a lose for words when a coach, four white horses, and groomsmen appeared before her quickly.

"Oh, Izzie," Meredith gasped.

"Now for your dress. Turn around."

As Meredith turned, her shabby clothes, the ones that had fascinated Derek earlier, changed into a large ball gown. It was lilac with sparkles covering the strapless top, and then it moved out into a three-layered skirt. Tiny glass shoes were placed on her feet, and her golden hair was piled onto the top of her head, and a tiara completed the look.

"You look stunning, darling. Now off to the ball with you. Have a good time, but remember one thing. The magic will wear off at midnight, so you must leave before then. Oh, and here is your mask. It is a masquerade ball."

"Thank you, godmother," Meredith said as her coached whisked her away to the ball.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the castle during the ball, Lexie and Addison, had both tried and failed at winning the Prince's affections and Ellis was attempting to get them another shot, bribing, sneaking, and flirting her way to the top. King Michael and Queen Carolyn looked on, exchanging a knowing look that their plan to help their son meet his bride was failing miserably. He looked bored, and barely concentrated on the women he was dancing with, all of whom were flirting shamelessly.

All of a sudden, the attendants standing next to the King and Queen gasped as they stared at the top of the grand staircase entering the ball. Meredith appeared in her gorgeous lilac dress and her silver and purple mask. The entire room stopped and stared at this beautiful young lady. The prince, and also the only person in the room not wearing a mask, turned to see what everyone else was so stunned at, and laid his eyes on the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

He immediately left the side of Addison, who was still trying to win his heart, and swiftly made his way towards Meredith. She felt her breath catch in her throat as Meredith discovered who the prince was. Derek. She fought the urge to dash out of the room as fast as she had arrived. Derek looked so irresistibly handsome in his navy coat and white trousers, tucked into his high dark brown boots, and his dark hair was coifed to perfection and just the right amount of stubble shown on his chin.

Derek could not believe his luck. He had been so doubtful of meeting any woman he would be even remotely interested in, and here he was mesmerized by this mysterious masked woman in lavender. Derek smiled dreamily at her, and Meredith felt herself go weak at the knees.

"May I have this dance?" Derek asked extending his hand.

Meredith silently took his hand and allowed him to guide her to the center of the room. She caught a brief glance at her step-family, green with jealousy. Butterflies filled her stomach as she realized a little too late that she had no idea how to waltz.

As the music flared up, Derek began to guide Meredith across the floor. She felt as though she was flying or gliding on air. Derek stared into her deep green eyes as she gazed into his blue ones, both enthralled by each other.

When the other guests joined them in the dance, Derek gently guided Meredith out to the courtyard, hoping to catch some alone time with the only woman he would be dancing with tonight.

Once outside, Derek placed his hand on the small of Meredith's back and guided her to the water fountain. He gently lowered her down to sit on the edge, and then moved to sit next to her. As Derek gazed into Meredith's eyes, he found himself captivated by these green eyes, although he thought they looked vaguely familiar.

"Thank you so much for the lovely dance, your highness," Meredith said timidly, avoiding looking directly into Prince Derek's blue eyes that melted her and rendered her unable to think or move. She could not believe that the man she had met in the woods and who had saved her was the _PRINCE_! Instead, she played gently with a small duckling in the fountain, moving her dainty hand over the water.

Cupping her chin, Derek responded, "The pleasure was all mine, fair maiden, but please call me Derek. _I want you to know me. So hi, my name is Derek Shepherd_." (A/N: italics = direct quote from episode Where the Boys Are)

"Alright then Derek. I guess if we are going to get to know each other, then you should know my name as well, though I fear what you will say when you discover it. My name is…"

At that precise moment, the clock on the bell tower began to chime.

"What is that?" she panicked.

"Only the clock in the tower."

"I have to go"

"What? No! We have only just met! I want to know you! Please, stay!" Derek called, following Meredith as she bolted towards the exit. She quickly made her way through the mass of people and out the door through which she had entered. Derek pushed past all the fawning girls trying to get his attention.

Once outside, Meredith lost her dainty slipper made of lavender glass. As she turned to retrieve it, she saw the outline of Derek begin to appear at the top of the staircase. Forgetting the shoe, she hid by the side of the stairs.

Derek frantically search around for Meredith, but there was not a trace of her to be seen. He was just about to turn around when he felt something touch the side of his foot. Looking down, he picked up the smallest shoe he had ever seen; it was just slightly larger than his hand. Immediately, he knew it had been the strange girls. Then and there, Derek knew the slipper would lead him back to his soul mate.

* * *

It had been a week since the ball and life had almost returned to normal for Meredith Grey. The only difference was her frequent fantasies, dreams, and memories of that lovely night. For Derek Shepherd though, it was a different story. He had become more and more determined to find the woman from the ball, and had finally convinced his parents to send out a search for her. Derek knew that the moment he saw here yes, smelt her lavender scent, and placed the impossibly small shoe that could only fit her on her foot, he would find his love.

Derek had searched almost the entire kingdom by this point and only one village remained. _Meri's village_. What if his parents were right and the woman really did come from another kingdom, then what would Derek do? He would be heartbroken. He rode up to Meri's home and was swiftly greeted by Ellis, Addison, and Lexie. Derek recognized them immediately from the ball.

After their futile and obnoxious attempts to fit their oversized feet in the small slipper, coupled with their brown eyes and overly perfumed scents, Derek knew immediately that these two were definitely not his love.

Crushed that he had not found the woman, Derek trudged outside, only to run into Meri returning from a short walk.

"Meri!" Derek said, surprised.

"Your highness," she responded dropping quickly into a low bow.

Derek reached her side in two quick strides. "All the women in the kingdom have tried on this slipper and I would not want you to feel left out," he smiled, doubtful that this would do any good.

Leaning on his shoulder, Meredith lifted up her tattered blue skirt and slid off her beat up shoe. She placed her foot into the slipper and it fit perfectly. (A/N: well duhhhhh) Derek's head snapped up and he released her foot and stood up. Her eyes were the captivating green and she smelled like lavender. Who would have guessed that Meredith, the woman he saved from that horse would be the love of his life? _His Meri_

"Will you marry me, Meri," Derek smiled. "I have loved you from the moment you walked through the door."

"Yes, Derek. I will marry you."

He scooped her up and passionately kissed her, Ellis, Addison, and Lexie throwing jealous hissy-fits in the doorway.

"Now let us get you away from this place and onto a life full of love and happiness. You will never have a care in the world again, Meri," Derek said, guiding her towards his horse. "Oh! I forgot about how you fear horses. Would you prefer me to send for my carriage?"

"No," Meri responded. "As long as I am riding with you, I know I will be safe."

_And they both lived Happily. Ever. After. THE END! _

**So I wrote this legit FOREVER AGO, so it was kinda crappy and stupid, but I decided to publish it anyway. I mean what the heck? I was in like 7****th**** grade when I wrote it! **


End file.
